In this sections of your paper, you will locate research studies that focus on persistent crime or disorder problems in your assigned city.  This will require additional research on your part and you will need to think critically about your city and about what could impact violent or property crimes.

Find at least 7 studies that focus on problems in your city, or on problems that are common to your city or cities that are similar if there is difficulty finding articles on your assigned city.  For example, there may be cities nearby that have similar problems, cities of comparable size that have common concerns, etc.  But try to find studies that focus specifically on your city too.  You may rely on one, and only one, newspaper article.  The rest of the studies should be research studies (journal articles, books, government reports/stats, etc.).

Consider some questions within your research inquiry.  For example, did your city implement a new law or policy that would have impacted crime?

What theory of crime might best explain what is occurring in your city?

Are the demographics of your city changing or does your city have a large proportion of people living in poverty?  Has the city experienced a significant increase/decrease in population?  Are there more urban or rural communities in your city?

These are just some fundamental questions to get you started. LEARN ABOUT YOUR CITY.  Study it and find research to support your problem oriented policing approach.

Now, assume you are the Mayor of the city.  Write a four-page letter to your police chief, summarize the research you have discovered, and recommend a problem oriented policing plan .  Be specific and let the chief know what you expect within the SARA process, how you want the department to scan, analyze, response and assess, and what resources you will provide to help.  You should focus on no more than two major crime/disorder problems in your letter.

As always, upload your paper in M.S. Word format and include full references and links to all of your research resources on a separate reference page.  Format your references using this document as a guide.

You should cite literature within the text according to the following format:

Kuhns (2001) suggested that coming to class greatly improves your chances of getting a decent grade.  On the other hand, some scholars have disagreed (Maguire, 2000; Snipes, 1999).  Regardless, Kuhns relied on numerous scholarly publications (for example, see Olsen, 1998) for his wild assertions regarding observed relationships between attendance and class performance.

MY CITY THE PAPER IS ABOUT IS RALEIGH NC.